Shinji of the Lions
by Jay Haru
Summary: A prophesy foretold through generations, A young boy from the past will awaken to a destiny much more greater than he had known and, perhaps, find love with the lonely princess of Planet Arus. Will he become the pilot of the Defender of the Universe?
1. A Lion's Divergence

_From days long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend._

_The Legend of Voltron: Defender of the Universe._

_A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil._

_As Voltron's legend grew, peace settled across the galaxy._

_On Planet Alur, a prophesy was about to be fulfilled._

_And then, a new horrible menace threatened the universe._

_Voltron was needed once more._

_This is the story of a young man, of pure heart and soul._

_And chosen by the Lions to bring back_

_Voltron: Defender of the Universe!_

**PROLOGUE: A LION'S DIVEREGENCE**

"Do you think it will come to pass, Gendo?" an old man queried.

A bespectacled man just looked at his screen. The video feed shows some sort of circular black hole on the ground. He then responded to his sensei without taking his eyes away from the monitor. "You are referring of course to the oddly written codex in the dead sea scroll collection, referred to as the 'Epistle of the Lions'. Am I correct, professor?"

Fuyutsuki nodded and cited the passage being referred to. "He will be swallowed by the darkness. A darkness that came from a world beyond. And he will awaken, the chosen one. He will roar like a lion. And then he is gone. For he is destined for another."

"We had tried to make sense of the codex and yet, it doesn't seem to conform to the other codices." Gendo Ikari, the commander of NERV spoke.

Again, the old professor agreed with him. "It is really odd that of all the scrolls we recovered, this one codex indicates a divergence to the prophesies claimed by the other texts."

"That was why we had considered it apocryphal since it was not supported by any other texts in the collection." The commander admitted. "The chance of the passage coming to pass was slim."

"And yet, here we are. We are now seeing something that may as well fulfil that non canonical text."

"We will do anything we can for everything to conform to the scenario." An unusually unsure Gendo finished.

They watched as all 995 existing N2 mines were dropped in the Sea of Dirac that was the twelfth angel.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

"Shinji…" an ethereal voice spoke. "I'm sorry my child."

She had seen how her son had suffered and scarred both physically and emotionally. All that she can do is observe him and try her hardest to protect him in her own way. In the end, Yui Ikari, the mother of Shinji whose soul is trapped in Evangelion unit 01 can only watch her son break and lose all hope and mercifully cry himself to sleep.

"I'm so sorry, Shinji. I wish I had been strong enough to protect you from all of this pain." She lamented.

It was then she felt a presence other than Shinji. Yui steeled herself for the possible hostile intruder in this parallel plane of existence known as the Sea of Dirac. She scanned the area where she had thought she felt the aura. It was then that a powerful light engulfed the whole Evangelion.

Yui panicked at the sudden change until a powerful yet assuring voice spoke to her. "Do not be afraid human." It said. "I am not a foe nor do I want to hurt you or your child."

"Wh-who are you?" She inquired. Years of being inside the monstrosity had made her wary of the unknown.

"I am that who had defended the balance of the galaxy." The same voice boomed. "I can help you and your son escape this impregnable prison of dimensions."

If Yui had her body, she would have laughed like mad at the absurdity that she was hearing. Here she was, speaking to some sort of being who was, in its own words, a sort of a galactical superhero. But then again, she was part of an organization that had developed giant humanoid weapons crafted from some alien who bled the primordial soup of life.

"How can you help us if you are a prisoner as well in the Sea of Dirac." Yui stated.

The voice roared as if laughing at some joke. "I am here for the purpose of fulfilling a prophesy that would determine the lives of all life forms."

Inside the EVA, the ghostlike form of Yui Ikari found herself face to face with a being that looked much like a lion. That was then she remembered the divergent codex. The only scroll who spoke of a different path that the other Dead Sea Scrolls prophesied. The Epistle of the Lions.

"But that's impossible!" her scientist part kicked in "The chance of that prophesy being put in motion is almost next to none!"

"It was." The lion responded. "But as a woman of your profession knew too well, near zero is still an option."

Yui just gaped at the being in front of her.

"Your son has passed the first of the prophesies laid." The voice continued. "But it is up to you to choose what road he will walk."

"But, what would be waiting for my son?" She asked. "I do not want him to again, suffer what he had."

"That would be up to him." The being spoke. "For the future is always an uncertain path. However, rest assured that he will have the power to choose when that time comes."

Yui weighted the choices that were presented to her. On one hand, it was the continued suffering and the almost certain completion of the Human Instrumentality. On the other is the unknown choice that the lion being is offering. While she was inclined to take the latter, the uncertainty that choice presented was the one preventing her to quickly take it. She just wished that she can still be there in one way or another to protect and watch over her only child. Unknown to her, the lion being smiled.

Finally, after some time, she had made her decision.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

"Activity has been detected!" Shouted one of the bridge bunnies.

They had just detonated all the N2 mines that they had available and it seems that they had gotten a reaction from the Angel. Or, more precisely, a reaction from what was inside of the Angel. They first noted that the circular black hole had begun to crack and took it as a sign that somehow, Unit 01 and its pilot had again pulled a miracle of sorts. What came next took them all by surprise.

Instead of a purple humanoid giant, from the destroyed Angel burst out a powerful and blinding light. When it subsided, they saw what looked like a lion made out of pure white energy. Too stunned to do anything, they just stared as the gigantic animal roared with all its might and flew away like a shooting star towards the sky.

"The scenario had failed." The old professor said.

Gendo simply stood up and exited the command center. This would be the last time that anyone would see the commander alive. Nobody noticed as well that a certain blue haired albino had disappeared. Inside the innermost place in Geofront, the Chamber of Gauf dissolved its contents of clones.

The first of the prophesies foretelling the return of the Defender of the Universe had been fulfilled.

To be continued.

**Whew! Another story made! I hope that you liked this one as i enjoyed writing it. This is the first crossover story I am working on. Special thanks to gunman on allowing me to use his story as the main theme for this story.**

**I know its short so i hope you will forgive me on that.  
**

**I wont be ranting long as i had exhausted it on my angel assassin rant column so all i ask is support this story.**

**for those who wants to know the pairing, it is a SHINJIxALLURA fiction and the crossover is EVANGELIONxVOLTRON (LION FORCE)**

**Well, waiting for your reviews :D**

**See ya on the next rant column**

**JayHaru Takamiya**

**Order of the Winged Sword of Light  
**


	2. A Familiar but Different Ceiling

~In Peter Cullen's Voice~

_From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend._

_The Legend of Voltron: Defender of the Universe._

_A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil._

_As Voltron's legend grew, peace settled across the galaxy._

_On Planet Arus, a prophesy was about to be fulfilled._

_And then, a new horrible menace threatened the universe._

_Voltron was needed once more._

_This is the story of a young man, of pure heart and soul._

_And chosen by the Lions to bring back_

_Voltron: Defender of the Universe!_

**CHAPTER 1: A FAMILIAR BUT DIFFERENT CEILING  
**

A lone figure is seen going out of a magnificent castle careful to not be seen by the roaming sentry guards. Short blonde styled hair and beautiful and yet sad looking sky blue eyes adorned her beautiful face. She wears a simple crown that looks like a necklace on her forehead that visually implies that she is of royal descent and if possible, enhanced her natural features. If one would ask a crowd to describe how she looked, that person would receive a unanimous reply.

Princess Allura is the picture of a perfect beautiful maiden.

Seeing that she had a clear exit, the young princess ran towards her favourite spot. It was a small pond inside the castle's perimeter forest. It was here that she would usually rest and enjoy the scenery around her. Animals would occasionally wander to her 'secret garden' and would elicit some delight to the usually lonesome girl.

She had reached her destination and wasted no time in setting herself up on the shade of a large tree. She giggled as the thought of her nanny frantically searching for her crossed her mind. Don't get her wrong, she loved her Nana like a mother but sometimes, she was just too strict and old fashioned.

Soft winds blew as she drank in the beautiful nature before her. It was then that she was inspired to sing. It was a simple lullaby that her mother, the Queen Ariella, had sung to her when she was a child. Allura loved the song and had learned it by heart. As she finished the melody, she sensed some movement from the bushes near her.

And she was surprised by what she saw.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

"W-where am I?" A young boy asked himself. "I remember being swallowed up by that angel and then…"

Shinji then felt his head throb in pain as he recalled what had happened to him. He had just woken up and was startled that not only was he inside his Evangelion dying a slow death due to his failing life support system after Unit 01 had been engulfed by the twelfth angel, but also the fact that, he was now in some forest that he had not remembered seeing anywhere in Tokyo-3.

He would have enjoyed the view surrounding him more if not for the fact that he had a splitting headache and that he felt fatigue all over his body. He was so focused on tuning out the pain that he had not noticed that on his free hand he was holding onto something.

"Need to find a clinic."

It was then that he heard someone singing. It was an unknown melody to him but he felt drawn to it. The melodies are soft and captivating and the singer had such a beautiful and somehow sad voice. It had also in some way alleviated the pain coursing through him. He quickly decided to follow the location of the voice and ask for some assistance.

He forced his aching and tired body to move quickly or he would lose track of the voice. He rushed towards some bushes near where he thinks the singer was. It was then that, as he cleared this last obstacle that he, for the first time, laid eyes on the voice's owner.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

Blue eyes met blue eyes. Another zephyr blew as the two young teens stared at each other. It played with their hair and had the effect that both of them being captivated by the others appearance. They had been like this for the past minute and had yet to take a blink lest the person in front of them disappear suddenly.

Princess Allura had never seen anyone in the kingdom or in the neighbouring city with haunting blue orbs like the boy before her. Granted that in her shielded life, she had only taken few visits to the populace. She can see that the handsome brown haired boy had had life altering tragedies in his life through those expressive eyes of his. A sudden image of him smiling at her crossed her mind and brought a pinkish hue on her cheeks.

Shinji Ikari, for his part, recognized those pair of eyes that are currently looking at him. It was loneliness that marred the otherwise attractive face of the girl in front of him. He took in every feature of the girl who, from her attire, would not be out of place in some of the fairy tales that his mother used to tell him. He smacked himself when his thoughts gave him an image of himself being the knight in shining armour.

A few more moments and it was the Evangelion pilot who broke the spell between them as the pain he had felt earlier returned with a vengeance.

"Argh!" Shinji held his head with both hands still not noticing the object he tightly holds. He immediately collapsed into the ground as his legs gave way due to fatigue.

Allura ran towards the boy full of worry about what was ailing him. "Are you injured?" She inquired. She never got an answer as the boy had already lost his consciousness.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

Shinji stared ahead as he woke up. '_Another unfamiliar ceiling_' he thought. '_At least it looks like some hospital's ceiling._'

The blue eyed youth's mind then wandered over what he thought he dreamed. In it he saw a very beautiful girl who wears a dress right out of the times of kings and queens. It suited the girl though and it just made her even more attractive to him. The last thing that he can recall before it all went a jumbled mess was the look of concern by the girl.

'_Like someone like her exists_' Shinji scolded himself. He sighed loudly at that.

Shinji then felt movement near his current location. He scanned his surrounding until his eyes lay upon a mop of blond hair stirring from a chair just a bit farther away from him. He let out a breath he had unconsciously held when the girl he had thought he dreamed was now looking at him.

"Oh, you're finally awake." The girl spoke to him. She had the look of relief from her young sleepy face.

The young pilot blushed at the display of worry for him. "W-where am I?" He inquired.

The girl in front of him smiled and said, "You are in the medical wards of my home."

"Y-you're home?" He spoke astounded. '_She must be a very rich girl to have a medical ward in her home_' he mused.

"Yes, this is my home." The blue eyed girl confirmed. "The Castle of Lions."

"Eh?!" Shinji was now surprised. '_Castle?!_'

"Oh, forgive me for not introducing myself." The blond girl then bowed to him in a royal fashion, "I am Allura."

The girl then looked at the boy lying in the medical bed and was rewarded by a simple and heartfelt smile that made her heart skip a beat.

"Thank you for the hospitality you showed me. My name is Shinji. Ikari Shinji."

It was then that they heard someone frantically shouting from outside the halls. The person who entered was dressed in a maid's attire.

"Goodness gracious, Princess Allura! I had been worried sick looking for you." Her nanny cried with anxiety evident in her voice. "I then heard that you are in the infirmary and i thought you are injured!"  
"I'm very sorry, Nana." Allura sheepishly smiled at her. "I was lonely and came to the pond inside the castle forests."

"Princess!" Her nanny then exploded. They had not told her yet of the dangerous situation they are in at the moment so every precaution was made to ensure the safety of the princess.

"Besides," The young girl continued, unfazed by the outburst of her nanny. "Had I not come out, Shinji might have had died."

Both of the women turned their attention to the young lad who kept himself quiet throughout the conversation. Nana gave him an appraising look which then softened. She really can't blame princess Allura for helping Shinji. She sighed in defeat as she knew the princess had won the argument.

"Master Shinji, are you feeling better?" she asked the blue eyed boy.

Shinji gave an awkward smile before replying, "Y-yes, I am feeling much better now."

"That is very good to hear." She smiled a motherly smile to the Evangelion pilot. "The royal physician had informed us that you had just fainted out of fatigue and stress but in any case, you are well."

"Thank you, Um..." Shinji hanged, not knowing how to address the kind lady properly.

"You can call me Nana as the Princess Allura calls me." She affectionately said then turned to the princess and announced, "Your parents, King Alfor and Queen Ariella request your presence for dinner. They had also expressed their desire to meet the Master Shinji."

"Oh! Of course, Nana." She responded happily.

"I will take my leave, then." Nana said. "I had to finish preparing the guest rooms for Master Shinji."

"Nana," Allura hugged her nanny. She knew she was hurt when she tried to escape the castle grounds without her knowing "I'm sorry."

It's okay child. Just be careful."

"I will."

Shinji sadly smiled as he watched the two of them. He had never felt the kind of affection showed by the maid to her ward and it brought tears on his face. He knew he shouldn't but he can't help feeling jealous of Allura. How he wished that he had someone who can care for him like that. He wiped his tears so as to not worry Allura.

The older woman left after that and the young princess walked near where the timid boy was reclining.

Allura held her hands towards Shinji before speaking, "Come, you must change your attire for dinner and introduce yourself my parents."

"Yeah." He shyly smiled at her and reached out for her hand.

Shinji tried to stand up with the help of Allura but as he put his weight down, his legs gave way. By reflex, he grabbed hold of the object nearest to support him and that nearest object was the princess. It was also at the same time that Allura rushed and tried to prevent him from falling. The result was that Shinji had grabbed hold of the princess's shoulders while leaning to her and Princess Allura trapped with her arms holding onto his chest.

Both youths are blushing different shades of red at the circumstance they are in. Slowly, Shinji and Allura separated but then paused. The pilot was still holding the princess on her shoulder while she was still clutching lightly on his torso but this time, they are facing each other being mesmerized with each other's eyes.

"DING-DONG, DING-DONG!!!"

The startling chime of the clock had surprised Shinji and Allura that when they saw how close they are, they literally jumped away from each other.

Still sporting a deep pink hue on her cheeks, the princess whispered, "Um, I-I will accompany you to your room." She again offered her hands to the brown haired boy.

Crimson faced as well, the young pilot just held her hand and nodded. Allura and Shinji then exited the somehow familiar and yet different medical ward.

To be continued

~Insert Voltron Ending Theme~

**JayHaru's Rant Column**

**Hey everyone!**

**Here is an update for my crossover fic. its a bit longer than the last time so i hope i had satisfied you all. If you will notice, i had hused some of the scenes in gunmans fic but expanded on it and changed the settings and all.**

**I thank all of those who have reviewed the story so i dedicate this chapter for your support.**

**I have another fanfic coming really soon but i think 2 fics are enough for the mean time. i will upload the next chapter for angel assassin for next week so i hope you will watch out for it.**

**Again, no omakes since im no gunman.**

**reviews will be appreciated and treasured.**

**till the next rant!**

**Jay Haru Takamiya**

**Order of the Winged Sword of Ligh**t


	3. The Royal Family

_From days long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend._

_The Legend of Voltron: Defender of the Universe._

_A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil._

_As Voltron's legend grew, peace settled across the galaxy._

_On Planet Arus, a prophesy was about to be fulfilled._

_And then, a new horrible menace threatened the universe._

_Voltron was needed once more._

_This is the story of a young man, of pure heart and soul._

_And chosen by the Lions to bring back_

_Voltron: Defender of the Universe!_

**CHAPTER 2: THE ROYAL FAMILY**

The two young teens walked with entwined hands in silence through the thick stone corridors of the huge castle. Both of them are sporting colored cheeks due to the episode earlier. Shinji tried not to remember how the golden haired beauty felt perfect on his arms while Allura's mind was a whirl on what she was feeling for the cerulean eyed boy.

It was then that Shinji noticed that he is not wearing his plugsuit anymore. He was currently in a simple pants and tunic emblazoned with what he thinks is the castle's coat-of-arms.

"P-princess Allura," Shinji faced the girl as he began fearing the worst. "M-my plugsuit, I mean, did you change my clothes?"

"N-no, I-I had one of the clinic staff do it." Allura stuttered her response as she tinted a rosy crimson.

"I-I see. I'm sorry if I asked you such a question." Shinji looked away trying to hide his own embarrassment.

Allura shyly smiled at Shinji telling him that it was fine and no harm was done. He smiled as well and both of them resumed their quiet walk towards his designated room. He slowly placed his free hand into his pockets and was startled that he felt something inside.

"Hey, what's this?" he mused at the object he pulled out.

The princess looked at what he was holding and was a bit surprised. "You had been holding tightly onto that ever since I saw you in the forest."

"Really?" the young boy said and then gave his attention at the thing he is carrying.

On his hands was some sort of artifact. It had a purple handle that resembles that of a katana. In the place where the hand guard should have been is a golden lion's head with a single horn on its forehead. At the end of the handle was a tassel that looked like a lion's tail. On the lions mouth where a blade should have been for it to look like a real katana was just an 'L' shaped metal of about a foot long.

It was weird but, as he held the katana handle, it felt as if it was very precious to him. That it would protect him and give him courage. And somehow, he was reminded of his mother. Shinji held it tightly before giving Allura a small smile which she returned.

A few more steps and they arrived at his designated room.

"I would be waiting for you here." The princess said. "Then, I will escort you to my parents and then the dining rooms."

"Thank you, Princess Allura." He responded before entering the room.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

To put it simply, Shinji was awed.

On a raised pedestal in front of him were two regal thrones. Both are currently occupied by King Alfor and Queen Ariella respectively. Princess Allura who was beside him gave a courteous bow to her parents while Shinji bowed deeply to show his respects to the rulers of the Kingdom of Altair.

"Rise, young man." Spoke King Alfor in his kind voice.

Shinji slowly got up to his feet and faced the royal couple.

Queen Ariella smiled as she saw the Evangelion pilot's face. He had this face of an innocent and honest child. His eyes seem to convey that he had held a heavy burden unwillingly. Yet, those same eyes show the courage within him that wants to manifest.

And then, there was her daughter. She had noticed Princess Allura stealing glances at the boy beside her. She smiled as the thought of her daughter having a crush on Shinji. The brown haired boy was currently wearing the attire the young princess provided for him and it had enhanced his already boyishly handsome appearance to a more princely fashion. Indeed, if her daughter had not told her parents what had happened, she would have thought that he might be some prince out to court her beautiful daughter. It didn't hurt too that he had some sort of short sword with a long handle sheathed on his right side completing the effect of a dashing knight.

It was then that she noticed the design on his sword. 'How peculiar...' She said to herself.

"Well, I guess it is time that we take our repast, do you agree My Queen?" King Alfor said finally breaking her train of thoughts.

"Of course, My Liege." Queen Ariella agreed, "And maybe our guest would like to tell us his story as well?"

"As you wish, your highness." Shinji bowed as he tried hard not to stutter nor shake at their presence.

The king noticed the young boy's uneasiness nevertheless and spoke in an almost fatherly way, "It is alright, Shinji. We may be of different status and all but you are not required to be so formal with us."

Shinji was surprised but pleased as well that both the king and queen are hospitable to him. He was both happy and envious of the princess that she had wonderful parents.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

Dinner had been an interesting affair for the royal family and their young guest.

Shinji began to recount his accounts as an Evangelion pilot starting from how his father had abandoned him. He told them how he was called into service by Gendo and was forced to pilot a humanoid monstrosity.

Princess Allura had felt a twinge of jealousy when she heard him talking about a certain Rei Ayanami. Something told her that the brown haired boy had some sort of attraction to the said person by the way he referenced her.

He then continued on with his missions up until the last one in which he was swallowed into darkness.

"And then, the next thing I knew, I woke up in a forest wandering aimlessly until I heard an angelic voice." Shinji finished his story, "I followed it and then found the Princess Allura."

The young princess blushed at what he had said about her voice. She had already been told that her voice was beautiful but somehow, hearing it from the cerulean eyed boy had made it more special.

To the king and queen, both had shown great interest on what had been iterated. King Alfor had his eyes closed as if digesting the information while Queen Ariella was stunned on Shinji's life story. She had not imagined the weight the young boy carried was this much. Not to mention the feeling of inadequateness he feels towards himself.

The most unforeseen fact wasn't any of these though. It was a response towards a simple question voiced by Princess Allura.

"So Shinji, since you said you are not of Planet Arus," She began, "From which planet did you come from?"

Shinji quickly responded, saying "A beautiful planet called Earth. Although, it is currently under attack by Angels."

At this, the king and queen looked at each other clearly showing their genuine surprise.

"I hope that you enjoyed dinner, Shinji." King Alfor then said. "My daughter, Allura, will be escorting you to wherever you want to go in the palace as long as it is not off limits."

Shinji stood up and bowed to them saying "Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness."

Both young teens excused themselves leaving the two adults pondering on what they had learned.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

Four adults had gathered in one of the castle's chambers. King Alfor was retelling what he and Queen Ariella had heard from Shinji to their most trusted advisors.

One is Coran, the castles chief advisor and tactician. He is well versed in the arts of combat, whether armed or hand to hand. He had served the royal family ever since King Alfor's father had taken him from the orphanage and gave him education. He had been treated as a son by the then king and as a comrade by Alfor.

"My king, if I am not mistaken, Planet Earth had been…" he trailed off.

King Alfor sighed as he had already known the answer. "Yes, I know."

"But that is impossible!" cried the other person. It was Nana.

Nana had time and again proven her devotion and love towards Allura ever since she was tasked to be her governess. She had treated the princess as if she was her own daughter.

"Until we can prove it otherwise, we have to accept it as the truth." The king responded.

Silence then enveloped them as they tried to make out anything of this situation.

"Is it possible that he is a spy of the empire?" Nana asked. She had seen how taken the princess was to the young boy and if this was an enemy ploy, she would never forgive Shinji.

"I sincerely doubt it." Queen Ariella finally said. "His eyes convey honesty."

The adviser then spoke, "Honesty can be faked, Your Majesty. I hope you realize this."

"The eyes of a child never lie, Coran." She replied wisely.

"Then what shall we do about this matter, Your Majesty?" spoke Nana. "What if he wanted to go back to his world?"

Coran shook his head while saying "Even with our current advanced technology, it would still be impossible for us to do that."

Three sets of eyes then fell on the queen.

Queen Ariella had been a prophetess and a mystic before she wedded the king and it had been kept as a secret to the public. Only the three persons inside the room knew of the queen's history.

"I shall check in the Arcane Archives if there is a way to help him if ever he wishes to return." She assured them. "However, I am not as well versed as you all think I am."

"That will do for now, My Queen." King Arfor gave his wife a smile. "For the moment, anyone had an idea on what to do with our guest?"

"I may have a solution to that." The queen smiled softly.

**Jay Haru's Rant Column.**

**Finally finished another chapter of 'Shinji of the Lions'. I had been slowing down lately so I must ask your forgiveness. If you have noticed, I don't really publish this story long like 'Angel Assassin'. The reason is that it's really hard for me to find ideas nowadays. However, I am happy to announce that my next story would be coming after this one. As always, it would be a multi-chapter story and another Shinji x Rei story. The title would be 'Tenshi Sentai: EVARangers'. Hopefully this one would be at par with "Angel Assassin' both in length and in story.**

**I appreciate reviews and constructive criticisms as it helps to keep the story flowing. **

**Lastly, thank you for those who reviewed latest chapter of 'Angel Assassin'**

**Til the next rant!!!**

**Jay Haru Takamiya**

**Order of the Winged Sword of Light**


	4. The offer from the Queen

_From days long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend._

_The Legend of Voltron: Defender of the Universe._

_A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil._

_As Voltron's legend grew, peace settled across the galaxy._

_On Planet Arus, a prophesy was about to be fulfilled._

_And then, a new horrible menace threatened the universe._

_Voltron was needed once more._

_This is the story of a young man, of pure heart and soul._

_And chosen by the Lions to bring back_

_Voltron: Defender of the Universe!_

**CHAPTER 3: THE OFFER FROM THE QUEEN**

Shinji looked up in the ceiling before him. He was currently trying to make sense of everything that had happened to him during his first day on a foreign land, or more accurately, a foreign _planet_. He had woken up after being trapped inside an Angel into a huge garden and found what he would certainly accept as a fairy tale princess. Said princess took him inside the castle when he fainted and woke up only to meet her governess and her regal parents. He had dined with them and told them everything he knew of his origin and now here he was, laying on his king sized bed in a room thrice that of Misato's whole apartment.

Did he mention he had somehow lost his giant bio-mecha and in return found in his pockets what looked like a katana handle with a lion's head ornament and a foot long 'L' protrusion on where the blade should be?

"Only thing missing now are some weird little animals walking around." He chuckled silently to himself. Finally, his overexerted mind decided it is time for him to sleep and let him dream of the beautiful Princess Allura.

He was so sound asleep that he didn't hear the tiny pitter patter of tiny feet nor the chitter chatter of his four guests.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

Princess Allura lay awake on her bedroom chambers. She had been trying to sleep in the past thirty minutes or so but with no success. What made it more difficult is that whenever she tried to close her eyes, a certain young Evangelion pilot pops out of her mind's view. After that, she would toss and turn trying to calm her fast beating heart.

She was in between her tossing session when she felt something was somehow off. It was then that she noticed that her four little 'friends' had been nowhere to be seen on that entire day. Usually, they could be found near the princess wherever she goes. Unfortunately, she had been too occupied by the new arrival to the castle to notice this earlier. She decided to look for and say sorry to them before trying again to retire. Dressed in her nightwear and her small light source (which looks oddly like a glowing ball of light), she set out to find them.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

It had been about an hour of blissful sleep when he felt it. It was a ticklish sensation on his chest that he tried to scratch that seemed to return after a few minutes. Then came what felt to be poking using a toothpick on his nose. Shinji sneezed himself awake and groggily opened his heavy eyelids to see what was causing it. He blinked once, twice and then again just to verify that what he is seeing isn't his sleep addled mind playing tricks on him.

On his chest were four mice, of which, two are blue and the other two are pink. All of the mice are standing on their hind legs with the biggest blue mouse holding what seemed to be some small wood branch whiles the two smaller mice was hiding behind the slightly bigger pink mouse looking at him with their beady eyes as if trying to figure out what he was.

Shinji had to suppress a chuckle when the big blue mouse noticed that he was looking at them and tried to hide the poking stick behind its back.

"Well, hello there." He said to them, not really expecting them to understand him "I am Shinji Ikari."

"Squeak, Squeak."

Shinji's eyes widened, not so much that he had gotten a response but rather, because in his mind, he thought he _understood_ what the mouse squeaked. Normally, he would be freaked out by this but considering everything that he had experienced earlier, he just accepted this at face value. Still, it was a surprise to him nonetheless.

"So, what are you guys doing here anyways?" Shinji asked.

"Squeak, Squeak-squeak." It was the pink one who answered him.

"Checking me out? Why?"

Before any of his nocturnal visitors answered, a knock was heard from the opposite side of Shinji's room. He stood up carefully while the four mice rendezvous themselves onto his shoulders. When Shinji was sure that his little 'friends' won't fall from where they are perched, he then proceeded towards the door. Upon opening it, he was greeted with none other than Princess Allura herself.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

It was only by chance that she went by Shinji's room and heard him speak. It was about fifteen minutes since she had begun her search for her missing friends. Hesitating at first, she then decided and knocked lightly the door of the young boy's room. She heard a light scuffle and after a few moments the door was opened with Shinji on the other side.

"S-sorry to disturb you, Shinji but I am looking for… uh…" Princess Allura stammered.

Shinji shyly smiled at her before responding, "Them?"

The princess followed where his finger was pointing and saw her friends perched up on him. The blue mouse that was poking Shinji earlier was on his right shoulder while the pink one was on the left. The two smaller mice were on top of his head looking very comfy. Allura didn't try to hide her giggle at the scene while Shinji had the decency to blush out of embarrassment.

"I see that you have met the Space Mice." The blue eyed princess said when her mirth calmed down enough for her to talk.

"Yeah, they kind of went ahead and 'examined' me." Shinji responded remembering the prodding of the mice kind of reminded him of Ritsuko and some of her tests.

"Well, they can get a little curious at times." The princess answered. "Especially since you are a new face here in the castle."

"I guess so." He said while he gathered his visitors into his hand.

The four Space Mice jumped into Shinji's palm and then into Allura's before finally settling on her shoulders.

"Let me introduce them to you." She began, "This one is Chip," She referred to the big blue one, "The pink one is Cheddar while the two smaller ones are Pip and Squeak."

All four of the Space mice squeaked and bowed towards Shinji.

"Nice to meet all of you as well." He then responded which astounded the princess.

"You understand them?"

"Umm… Well, sort of." Shinji said. "I cannot understand what they are saying, per se."

"It was more like, whenever they squeak; my mind then tells me that this is what they are talking about." He explained.

Allura was silent for a bit before responding, "Wow, you're about the only other person other than me or my parents to understand them."

After a few more minutes of idle chat, Shinji and Princess Allura decided that it was getting pretty late.

"Goodnight, Shinji. See you at breakfast tomorrow." The princess waved as she goes.

It was then that an idea formed on the young pilot's mind. "Sure, princess." He gave her a smile before closing the door to his room to retire for the night.

The walk returning to Allura's chambers was silent with only her slippers making the faintest sounds.

"Squeak-squeak, squeak." It was Cheddar who broke the monotonous silence. "Squeak."

Princess Allura's cheeks colored upon hearing what her little friend said. They reached her room without further noise. As the Space Mice retired to their mouse hole, Allura's mind drifted back to what Cheddar has spoken before finally letting sleep take its hold on her.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

It was still a bit early when Shinji woke up. With the idea from last night still fresh on his mind, he then proceeded to locate the royal kitchens. He found Coran on one of the corridors and asked for his help. Upon hearing what Shinji was planning, Coran accompanied him towards his destination. Once there, the advisor to the king talked with the head chef and Shinji was given a space where he can cook.

The brown haired boy was glad that even though he is on another planet, it seems that the meat and produce are same to that of Earth. What was more, everything was of very high quality. He then started to prepare everything he required. After a while, Shinji wiped the sweat on his forehead as he looked into his creations.

A few more minutes and the announcement was made that the royal family are awake and waiting for Shinji to join them for breakfast.

"You should go." Coran told him, "I will make sure that your hard work be sampled by his highness."

Shinji gave his thanks to him and then ran back to his chambers to clean himself up. After checking if his attire was presentable, he then walked towards the dining area. He was greeted by the royal family already sitting at the table. He walked towards his chair and seated himself.

"Ah, there you are, my boy." King Alfor acknowledged him with a fatherly tone, "I have asked Allura to escort you but your room was empty."

"My apologies, King Alfor." Shinji spoke, "I had some things that needed to be done."

"I see. Well, anyhow, Queen Ariella would like to have an appointment with you later after breakfast."

"It would be my honor, sir." Shinji finished as their meal tray was brought forward.

Inviting smells permeated the room as the tray cover was removed. On each plate was ham and cheese omelets, stir fried vegetables and a couple of slices of garlic bread. It was the first time for anyone who was dining (except for Shinji) to see such a meal presented to them. King Arfor, Queen Ariella and Princess Allura sampled their meal and were surprised as their taste buds are tickled by the food.

"Give my regards to the head chef, Coran." Said the king. "He had really outdone himself with this seemingly outlandish cuisine."

"Mine as well." Spoke Queen Ariella, "I have never tasted anything like this and it is heavenly."

Coran bowed before responding, "I shall proceed as you wish but I think Master Shinji already heard of what you think of his culinary skills."

The royal couples' gaze, as well as of the princess, fell upon Shinji who has his cheeks burning.

King Alfor chuckled and said, "Oho, so this is the reason that you are out early."

"Y-yes sir," the cerulean eyes boy stammered, "Y-you see, I wanted to thank you for the hospitality you showed me but, I don't know how."

"I got the idea while talking to Princess Allura last night and I am very happy that you are satisfied with my cooking." Shinji added.

Queen Ariella smiled at the young boy, saying "You did not have to do this, but, we appreciate it nonetheless."

"It is really very delicious." Princess Allura finally spoke.

At this, Shinji blushed before muttering a quiet "Thank you."

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

"Hey, Princess Allura. Why do you think your mother asked for me to meet her?" Shinji asked his companion.

The pilot and the princess were currently on their way towards the place Queen Ariella wanted to talk to Shinji.

"I don't know. But whatever it is, it must be important." Princess Allura replied.

In no time, they reached the door towards the queen's office. The princess knocked and identified themselves and waited for the queen. After being admitted into the room, both young teens seated themselves in front of Queen Ariella herself. The queen looked up at the Evangelion pilot, closed her eyes and sighing heavily before resigning to her task.

"Shinji, you had informed us before that you came from a planet called Earth, am I correct?" The queen began.

Shinji had a sudden feeling of dread. Somehow, he knew that what the queen would convey isn't good news.

"Y-yes, ma'am." He managed to choke out.

"I will be honest to you, Shinji." Queen Ariella said. "We had been surprised and some even skeptical when you have told us your story of how you arrived here."

"You have said that you lived on Earth dated 2014. If we accept this as fact, then it seemed that you have either traveled to the future or had been put into stasis through a dimensional anomaly." She continued, "Both of which, are theoretically feasible but the means on how it happened or if it can be duplicated doesn't exist even on our technologically and magically advanced age and even if they do, it would take tremendous amounts of energies to bend either the space time continuum or open a pocket dimension."

"However, we have tended to accept that you may be more of the former than the latter." At this, Queen Ariella clicked on a console on her desk.

From behind Shinji and Allura, a large screen dropped down and images began to appear. The images portray Earth on what may be its pre-second impact state and then came pictures of Post second Impact Earth. The images stopped at one point and Shinji's eyes widened. On the screen was the image of Unit 02. The queen noticed this and started to speak again.

"The pictures you are seeing came from our old archives collected from some of our forefathers' expeditions. They have recovered these images from some of Earth's technologies that had remained viable to gather data." The queen paused to check if Shinji understood what she was saying, "Some of the images shown here are dated to be more than three hundred thousand years old. From the reaction you had on this image, I gather that you recognize it?"

"Yes, Queen Ariella, I do." Shinji responded trying to picture out his days with a certain red haired girl with a fiery disposition. "In fact, I knew the pilot personally, if you can say that."

"From what we have gathered, this… 'thing', is called an Evangelion and the pilot was one Asuka Langley Sohryu. Of course, you have mentioned her before so we can readily accept that you indeed know her. However, we have been unable to verify you or this 'Rei Ayanami' person." She stopped again to look at the surprised young boy. "However, we did find records of two other Evangelions but the information regarding to who pilots them had either been lost or erased. What we do know from the information we had was that this Asuka was hailed as a war heroine. That is was she alone that defeated what was codenamed as 'Angels' during the beginning of the so called 'Second Impact'."

"The Earth lasted for about another fifty thousand years after this. After which, a super volcano located at what was called 'Yellowstone National Park' erupted with cataclysmic proportions. It was more than triple what Earth scientists at that time predicted the magnitude of the eruption was. Earth was thrown into a drastic climate change and had been a frozen wasteland ever since" Queen Ariella gazed into Shinji's eyes before saying what he had feared, "I am very sorry Shinji, Earth is no more."

Shinji's eyes flowed with tears. For the first time in his young life, he really, truly felt alone. He would never again hear Misato tease him, hear Asuka call him baka, see Touji or Kensuke argue about things while Hikari reprimands them. Never will he see Rei Ayanami, the enigmatic blue haired, red eyed girl who gave him a genuine smile that made his heart skip a beat. It pained his heart that he would never have a chance to be with them again.

He then felt arms wrap around him and when he looked, found that it was Princess Allura, in tears as well, embracing him. Shinji turned around and buried his head on the princess' chest and let loose of the grief that had held him. He felt her hands brush his hair in an attempt to calm him as he continued to let his tears go unbidden. Even Queen Ariella had to look the other way in shame for what she had done to the kind boy in front of her, saline liquid running across her cheeks.

After a long while, Shinji had calmed down enough to face the Queen. "Is there anything else you need to inform me, Queen Ariella?" He asked in between his quiet sobs.

Queen Ariella stood from her desk and walked to where Shinji sat while Princess Allura returned to her seat. She kneeled in front of him and took hold of his hands in a motherly fashion.

"Let me tell you this, Shinji." She said, "You will always be welcomed here with open arms."

"Thank you, Queen Ariella." Shinji smiled a sad smile, "I don't know what I did to deserve you and the king's kindness."

"There is no need to thank us, Shinji. I have seen your eyes and I trust you." The queen then placed a hand on the young boy's cheek and wiped away the tears, "That is why I would like to offer you a job that I think you and my daughter would like."

Upon hearing this, both Shinji and Allura gave their attention towards the queen.

"As you may very well know, us being rulers of a kingdom is a very demanding lot. There are times when we need to go away for diplomatic purposes. We may be gone for days, weeks or even months just for these meetings." Both young teens nodded in response to this. "We try to take our daughter into some of them as much as possible for her to learn diplomacy when it is time for her to rule. However, most of the time, we cannot afford the risk to take her. Don't take this wrongly, Planet Arus, with its five major nations, and its neighboring planetary systems are relatively safe but there are still people who would not think twice to hurt our precious girl."

"Our decision however, made her very lonely." The queen said in a voice filled with regret. "She would be alone with only Nana and Coran as company. And that is where you can help."

"Shinji Ikari, I ask, no, I beseech you that you become my daughter's Royal Companion."

Silence filled the room as Shinji and Allura tried to process what Queen Ariella had spoken.

"A-are you sure? I-I mean, me… to her?" The young boy tried to speak straight but found it hard out of pure astonishment. Taking a deep breath, he tried again with a much more satisfactory success, "You want me to become Princess Allura's bodyguard?"

"More of a friend than a protector. However, I would like for you to be trained by Coran should the need to protect her do arise."

"B-but, why me? How do you know I can do this job properly?" Shinji said, doubting if he had it in himself to do the said task.

"Why not you?" Queen Ariella retorted, "As I have said earlier, I trust you. That and I can be a very good judge of character. Also, if we take to account that you had been a pilot of an 'Evangelion', then you have a good grasp on what duty is. Add the fact that you and my daughter are of the same age."

Hearing this, Shinji had no arguments to present against it.

"You do not have to give an answer now, Shinji. By all means, take your time to consider everything."

The young pilot thought of everything that the royal family had done for him. There was the fact that as it stands, he no longer have anything left of his old life to return to. He also knew how it was to be alone if not much more as the princess at least has a loving family. He gazed towards the princess before speaking.

"If Princess Allura thinks that I am worthy."

Princess Allura's cheeks colored when she finally said, "O-of course, I trust you Shinji. I would be very happy if you become my Royal Companion."

Taking one last deep breath, he faced the queen and told her in a calm voice intoned with conviction even he didn't knew he possess, "Then I accept your offer, Queen Ariella."

"Wonderful!" the queen exclaimed. "You will be given the rank of a squire until you have had mastery."

"Thank you, Queen Ariella, Princess Allura for giving me your trust." Shinji said.

"No, Shinji. It is us who should thank you." The queen replied to him, her hand on his shoulders.

Allura then stood up and hugged him, "Yes, Shinji, Thank you." Her eyes flowing with tears of happiness.

Shinji stroked the princess' hair the way she had earlier and made a promise in his mind. _"I had lost those that had been precious to me. Never again will I let it happen. For you, Princess Allura, I will never run away."_

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

Inside the Arcane Archive, the kingdom's repository of old and ancient books of lore, a tome glowed. On it was an engraving of a lion surrounded by five differently colored stones. Below the image was an age old inscription inscription.

_**When the young lion cub found its own roar, he will return.**_

_**The one who bears the symbol of the lion**_

_**Will awaken the Defender of the Universe.**_

To be continued

**Jay Haru's rant column**

**Whew! Finally done with another chapter of SotL! Uhhhh… right… four months of no updates… Huh? I skipped Angel Assassin? Nuooooooo!!!!**

**Well, as of the moment, I am still working on the next chapter of AA. It is turning to be quite difficult to write my first fanfic but rest assured that I am doing my best to update it.**

**This had been my longest one for SotL fanfic. I had great fun writing it and I also had been inspired to finish it because of a certain someone. I thank StraightedgeShadow for that encouraging pm he sent me. I was in the middle of writing this fanfic when I read his letter. It made me happy that someone was into my story enough that even after a very long time of no activity, he still remained loyal. So to StraightedgeShadow, this update is dedicated entirely to you!**

**This fanfic would also serve as my Christmas gift to those that remain loyal to my stories.**

**For the EVARangers fanfic, I may be updating it as well soon.**

**Again, sorry for the lack of much needed omakes as I am no gunman.**

**Speaking of gunman, I hope you like this update too!!!**

**Well, that all I can think of for now!**

**Remember to give a review, okay?**

**Until the next rant!!!**

**Jay Haru Takamiya**

**Order of the Winged Sword of Light**


	5. PenPen

_From days long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend._

_The Legend of Voltron: Defender of the Universe._

_A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil._

_As Voltron's legend grew, peace settled across the galaxy._

_On Planet Arus, a prophesy was about to be fulfilled._

_And then, a new horrible menace threatened the universe._

_Voltron was needed once more._

_This is the story of a young man, of pure heart and soul._

_And chosen by the Lions to bring back_

_Voltron: Defender of the Universe!_

**CHAPTER 3: PEN-PEN**

Princess Allura chanced another glance at Shinji while he was occupied with securing their ride animals while the Space Mice ran around the wide field overlooking one of the nearby towns from the castle. Ever since Shinji had accepted the title of her Royal Companion, she had been given more freedom with the condition that he would always accompany her. They would always arrange some trip or another provided that the ex Evangelion pilot's program with Coran would not suffer.

"Hey, stop that, Pen-Pen!" She heard the brown haired boy shout.

She couldn't suppress a giggle with what she was seeing. Pen-Pen, Shinji's pet Emustrich, was nipping the cerulean eyed boy's ears while he was untying their picnic basket full of food that he and the castle cook had prepared. The bird would them nuzzle its face into his cheeks, a sign of affection for the field runner. Grumbling, Shinji would scratch its head and a place under its beak while Pen-Pen would wark its satisfaction.

The young princess could still remember when Shinji got the field runner. Coran gave the then chick to him not knowing that he was being tested. She knew since she had seen it before when other people, especially parents of young nobles, requested that he take them as an apprentice. The test was relatively straightforward. The king's adviser would give the aspiring apprentice an Emustrich chick in which he would be tasked of caring for at least a month. He would bring the chick to Coran every week for the adviser to track the would-be apprentice's progress. After that, Coran would judge if the said candidate was worthy or not.

Unfortunately, it was more easily said than done. For one thing, Coran always gives the candidates a baby Emustrich abandoned by its mother. An abandoned chick meant that it was either too weak or too sickly to survive even with the mother's help. Said chick's chances of survival were almost zero.

Another fact is that Emustriches are very sensitive creatures. There are only a few Emustrich breeders throughout the entire kingdom, no, the planet and even then, only a handful of them has mastered taking care of the magnificent birds. Even with that, it was very well known that no one has yet to successfully raise an abandoned Emustrich chick. Except for one, Coran himself.

Lastly, even if someone did manage to make the chick survive the month, the field runner would only bond to the person that took care of it. Emustriches are very loyal creatures that they only let their master and someone that their master trusted to ride them. Faster than any horse, (Yes, it surprised Shinji as well that Arus has horses.) as well as having fighting capabilities with its tough beak, razor sharp claws and dagger-like talons, Emustriches are prized by many individuals.

For as long as Princess Allura could remember, no one has yet to pass Coran's test. In fact, most of them just gave up once they are told what they would be doing. Some had tried but unfortunately, they either neglected the poor chick or just delegated it to others never making it past the first two weeks of the trial. With this knowledge, she had begun to fear that the task would be too much for Shinji to handle.

And as if the trial wasn't enough to make the young princess concerned, Coran had presented Shinji what could have possibly be the smallest, weak and sickly looking Emustrich chick she had ever seen. She had thoughts right there and then that Coran must have viewed the young boy as inappropriate to be her Royal Companion for him to be given such odds against him. Unfortunately, if she tried to help Shinji, it would be viewed that she played favorites and that will lead to the cerulean eyed boy failing the task, not to mention, the nobles would protest. With this, Princess Allura had no choice but to just watch as Shinji began the task of caring for his bird while she hoped for a miracle to happen.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

Upon accepting the bird from Coran, Shinji had immediately noticed something wrong with it. While it had been the first time he had held such a creature, his instincts were shouting that the chick was in a fragile condition.

"This is an Emustrich chick, Shinji." He heard Coran speak, "They are flightless birds native only to planet Arus."

The advisor paused momentarily to look at the young boy who nodded his head signifying he understood before continuing.

"I want you to take care of this bird for one whole month." Coran continued, "After that, we will begin your training under my wing. Should you have any questions regarding the care for them, you can consult the castle breeder as well as books in the Royal Libraries."

With that said, Coran left the brown haired pilot to his own devices.

Shinji's first impulse was to make the medium adult dog sized chick comfortable. After making a short detour towards his room and placing the bird he named Pen-Pen, in remembrance of Misato's warm water penguin, on his bed, he ran towards the kitchens and asked for a basket as well as talked to the castle maids if they could spare some sheets and pillows. He then proceeded to the Royal Libraries and asked the Chief Librarian for books regarding care of Emustriches and then, lastly, tracked down the aged castle Emustrich breeder.

After gathering what he required, Shinji and the breeder proceeded into his rooms to check up on the bird. After sometime, the breeder confirmed his fears that the chick was indeed in a much weakened state as well as being sick. The old man told him that the chick was probably abandoned and has no chance of survival within a couple of weeks. The thought of the small bird dying brought a familiar pain into his heart. He had somehow seen the image of his young self towards the chick as he had also been abandoned by his own father. Thus, Shinji made a determined that he would do everything he can to ensure Pen-Pen survives.

Speaking with the breeder, he had gathered information regarding the care of his bird from their basic needs to how they are groomed. Armed with that knowledge, he then began his quest to save Pen-Pen from the seemingly inevitable hand fate had dealt it with. Day after day, Shinji would go visit the Library looking for any clue that would lead him to find a cure. He would sometimes skip meals and even sleep just to read the books in hopes that in its pages lay the answers for Pen-Pen's survival. He would have also lapsed into a weakened state himself had Princess Allura not chided him to eat and rest.

Eleven days after Shinji received Pen-Pen from Coran, the chick's health continually deteriorated. It was then that he stumbled upon an old book of myths and legends. In one of its obscure stories, there was a line mentioning a red Gyashl Green. He read and re-read the same story just to make sure he had it right.

Remembering what he has learned from the breeder, Gyashl Greens are a type of food specifically for Emustriches. Very rare and expensive, Gyashl Greens are not an everyday food for these birds. He had been given one by the breeder as well, saying that if ever he succeeds to find the cure, this was his gift to him. The only catch is that, Gyashl Greens are colored _green_. No other colored varieties of it existed. Still, Shinji took his luck and approached the old man.

"Ah, Master Shinji, what brings you here to my lot?" The breeder greeted him, "I do hope you bring good news with regards to Pen-Pen."

A sad tone emanated from the young boy when he spoke, "I am sorry sir, but Pen-Pen is still sick."

The old man placed a comforting hand on his shoulders before responding, "Do not worry, Master Shinji, if I had seen anyone deserving to find the cure, it would be you."

Hearing this, Shinji remembered what he came for, "Sir, what do you know about a red Gyashl Green?"

"Only that it doesn't exist." The old man sighed, "It was just one of those old legends."

Feeling defeated, Shinji slowly returned to his chambers. After he had left, the old man then remembered something.

"If I remember correctly, Coran also asked me the same question many years ago…"

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

It had been a very draining day for Shinji. Earlier, after his conversation with the old man, he went directly into his room to check on his bird. What he saw pained him even more, Pen-Pen is dying. The small chick looked like it had already trouble breathing and there is nothing he could do to help. Having no appetite at dinner, he excused himself from the table and now here he was, his Gyashl Green in hand as he watched his field runner's life slowly ebb away into the night.

"Waaarrrk…" the sound of Pen-Pen's cry filled his room.

At this, Shinji began to cry. He cried for his weakness, He cried for his failure but more so, he cried for the loss of Pen-Pen. His tears fell upon his hand and then to the crop he was holding.

"I'm sorry, Pen-Pen." He drawled, "If only I was strong enough, smart enough, you wouldn't be suffering."

His hands then tightened on the Gyashl Green he was holding and was about to throw it to the wall when he noticed something. What had earlier been an ordinary Gyashl Green in his hand was now the supposed to be nonexistent red color. After staring at the crop for some time like it had just said 'hello' to him, he had gathered enough of his wit to move and prepare the crop for Pen-Pen. While the book never even mentioned that it was the cure, it was all he had right now and he was putting every ounce of his hopes into it. After feeding his bird what was he hoped not his last meal, the weariness of the past days finally overtook Shinji. Making sure that Pen-Pen is comfortable, he slowly dragged himself to bed and slept.

Late morning found him still sleeping. Suddenly, he felt a slightly heavy weight place itself upon his chest and a distinct feeling of something nipping his right ear. Using both hands, he tried to push the offending object while mumbling something about fish and Yebisu when it gave a loud 'waaarrkk'. Startled because of the sound, Shinji nearly flew off his bed while the feathery creature weighing down on his chest rolled down on his lap. Getting his bearings up, the young boy checked whatever it was that had fallen off of him.

He blinked once, twice and then again just to make sure he is not hallucinating it all. His right arm found his left and gave it a pinch. The pain he felt indicates that he is not dreaming the whole thing up

"PEN-PEN!!!" Shinji then finally shouted.

There in front of him was the Emustrich chick looking a bit dizzy. Pen-Pen gave a small wark of recognition to Shinji. The cerulean boy's first move was to hug the bird with tears of joy and relief flooding his eyes. It was then that he heard knocking on his door.

Opening his door, Shinji found a seemingly distraught Allura. Beside her was a tray with food for the young lad as he had missed breakfast. She had earlier heard Shinji calling the name of his bird and now, gazing upon his eyes, the beautiful maiden saw that he had been crying. Taking this as a sign that Pen-Pen had already died, the young princess bowed her head in defeat as her body shook, her mind already providing images of Shinji being sent away from the castle leaving her alone and friendless once again.

Imagine her surprise when suddenly, Shinji placed his hands around her and then whirled her around inside his room.

"Pen-Pen is cured!" She had heard him say over and over again but somehow, her mind is only registering that Shinji is hugging her.

Princess Allura's synapses must have been firing all at once as she felt a tingling sensation all over her body, especially on parts where hers met Shinji's. Her heart seemed to beat thrice its normal pace and she felt her face grow hot. The feeling that flooded her was something she had never experienced but she welcomed the sensation openheartedly.

Unfortunately, it seemed to have ended quickly as it began. Shinji's still fatigued body gave way and both young teens stumbled into his bed with Shinji still maintain his hold on her and Princess Allura grabbing tightly onto his tunic, her head pressed into his chest. She had closed her eyes and listened to Shinji's breathing as well as his fast throbbing heart.

"Waaarrrkk!!"

Almost instantly, the young princess jumped out of Shinji. She then heard laughter coming from the young boy and as Shinji stood to a sitting position, he gave Princess Allura the kind smile that she had unconsciously been missing since the time he took care of his Emustrich. Speaking of Pen-Pen, it was then that she noticed the field runner. The baby Emustrich was currently nuzzling itself on Shinji while the young boy's hand automatically scratched its head.

Seeing this brought a smile and a tear into her, "Shinji, you've done it." It was all that she could muster to say.

"Yeah." Shinji finally said through his own smile.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

Two days after, Shinji presented Coran the now improving Pen-Pen. To say that the king's adviser was pleased was an understatement. After leaving Pen-Pen to the delighted old breeder for the mean time, Coran took Shinji for a walk.

"I can see that my faith in you is very well placed, Master Shinji." Praised Coran, "You have just proven to me that you are indeed capable of mastering the Style of the Four Mythical Beast."

"Thank you for the complements, Master Coran." Shinji spoke, "But, I don't understand. What does taking care of Pen-Pen have to do with you teaching me?"

Coran gave his a small smile before speaking, "Master Shinji, tell me, what is the definition of a sword?"

"Errr…" Was the reply he got from the young boy.

"A sword by nature is merely a tool." The king's adviser began, "Once it is held by someone, it becomes a weapon. A weapon is defined not by how it is used but by who uses it."

Shinji gave Coran a questioning look.

"Anyone can wield a sword." He explained further, "But the wielder will give the sword its character. Will it be a sword that oppresses the weak or will it be a sword that would protect them?"

"Will a sword cursed with darkness be truly evil if it was used to save lives? Would a holy sword be really sacred if it was forged by the blood of innocents?"

Shinji contemplated on what Coran had been saying. The silence continued until they reached a small cliff overlooking a forest.

"Let me tell you a secret, Master Shinji" Coran once again spoke, "The style that I am going to teach you, it was a style used by an Assassin."

"Sir?" Shinji's eyes went wide with shock.

"Yes, Shinji." The older man said, "The style was created by a person who took lives."

"But in the end, he wanted his style to be remembered not as a murderous style. So, he took an apprentice."

"The apprentice was at first, abhorred when he learned who wanted him and what he wanted to teach him. He screamed that he would never ever want to learn something that was used to kill."

"He was asked by his master the question I asked you."

Shinji was silently absorbing this information when he noticed Coran's eyes were misting.

"The apprentice continued to learn under his master until he had nothing more to teach. Then, one day, he found the old man on his deathbed."

"On his dying breath, he asked the apprentice only one thing. If ever the apprentice, now a master himself, needed a successor, seek someone who values life."

Coran then kneeled in front of Shinji so that they are on eye level.

"The day my master found me was at the time when I was desperately seeking the cure for my own Emustrich. He had chosen me for I as well, shed tears for it and by some miracle; my tears fell on the Gyashl Green. He said that only a person with that kind of compassion can turn what was a skill from one that harms into one that protects."

It was already sunset and they started to head towards the castle. Nearing their destination, Shinji then asked his question.

"Master Coran, If only a tear can get a Gyashl Green turn into a red color, why doesn't many people know of this?"

Coran gave Shinji a fatherly smile before he responded.

"Because, even if they knew, only tears that was shed out of compassion would have made the plant turn red."

To be continued

_**Jay Haru's Rant Column**_

_**Finally, another chapter done!!! Yes, it seems that I would be focusing on finishing my Shinji of the Lions fanfic before tackling my other two fanfics. This chapter was actually supposed to be Shinji's training with Coran but before I knew it, it expanded to be a chapter on its own.**_

_**Overall, I am glad since I guess this adds some depth to the story. Also, yeah, I totally ripped off chocobos on this one but I haven't had the heart to use them. Instead, I combined two real life giant running birds and made it into a chocobo-like being. Would Pen-Pen the Emustrich be appearing from this time onwards? It's a definite yes.**_

_**For the Voltron fans, I am really very sorry for not making the Defender of the Universe appear yet. It was due to my decision to further the character development before the mighty robot appears as well as making my own mythos. I promise that when the time comes, the mighty roar of the lions will be heard.**_

_**I would have loved it if this story also had the same popularity my other story, Angel Assassin received. Even now, I still get the odd review from readers. Anyhow, as it is, I am really happy that there is a small following on this story of mine.**_

_**Oh, and to Cyclon one, if you are reading this, since you've been so keen as to spot the errors on my work, I would be honored if you could be my beta reader.**_

_**Well, that's all the rant I could come up with.**_

_**Until the next rant!**_

_**Jay Haru Takamiya**_

_**Order of the Winged Sword of Light**_


	6. First Year

_From days long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend._

_The Legend of Voltron: Defender of the Universe._

_A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil._

_As Voltron's legend grew, peace settled across the galaxy._

_On Planet Arus, a prophesy was about to be fulfilled._

_And then, a new horrible menace threatened the universe._

_Voltron was needed once more._

_This is the story of a young man, of pure heart and soul._

_And chosen by the Lions to bring back_

_Voltron: Defender of the Universe!_

**CHAPTER 4 : FIRST YEAR**

The last two weeks of the test passed by quickly with Pen-Pen getting stronger each passing day. No one is happier than the Princess Allura at that moment as, not only had Shinji proved that he is worthy of Coran's tutelage, he has also now became her official Royal Companion. This was accentuated by a celebration at the Castle of Lions, courtesy of the king himself, to introduce the young boy with the maiden princess as his escort.

Of course, some people opposed this. Some had raised the question of his validity to be given such a standing due to his status. As no one except the Royal Family, Coran, Nana, the Emustrich breeder (whom Shinji was surprised to know was named Kouzo as he , in fact, looked like Vice Commander Fuyutsuki), as well as Shinji himself know his true origins, they have decided that he be introduced as Kouzo's long lost grandson. They had argued that his social standing as a peasant isn't suited to be with someone of royal blood.

Then, there was also the fact that because he was the breeder's supposed grandson. Some people believed that he had an unfair advantage and thought that he already had knowledge on caring for Emustriches, thus passing the advisor's seemingly impossible test. Or that the cerulean eyed boy had somehow gained Coran's favours and had simply given him a healthy Emustrich in the first place.

All of these arguments had been shot down by Coran himself when he spoke.

"Our dear guests, if I may speak." The advisor began, "I know that some of you may have some doubts with regards to the princess' Royal Companion."

He eyed the crowd who had become quiet before continuing, "I would like to point out that first and foremost, like Shinji, I am also not of royal nor noble birth. In fact, as many of you already knew, I am an orphan that had been given quarters by the old king."

"As for Master Shinji passing the test, I can assure you that while he is our castle breeder's grandson, he had not had any experience with handling Emustriches as his parents are not breeders and he had only come to the castle to seek his last surviving family. Nor did I give him any favour. He had undergone the same test with the same conditions as anyone else, if not, even more so. This can be attested by the whole castle personnel and even the King and Queen themselves."

"The fact that he had passed my test not only affirms that he deserves to be my apprentice but also that he has what it takes to be Princess Allura's Royal Companion."

This had satisfied most of the protesters but quite a few remained stubborn as to what they thought of the young Evangelion pilot. Even so, they have to accept that Shinji is now part of the Royal Entourage as well as Allura's personal guardian. The night of celebration continued as usual with Allura introducing Shinji to the noble families of the kingdom. There were also representatives from the other four countries that made up the whole of planet Arus as well as delegations from the Galaxy Alliance.

Shinji had a hard time as he was not used to being with so many important people surrounding him as well as the attire he was wearing. Not only was it a bit heavy from what he was used to wearing, it was also a bit stuffy to say the least. He literally had to pull and stretch his clothes when he thought no one was looking at him just so he would stay comfortable for a short time to the amusement of his escort.

For Allura, she was having the time of her life. Almost. Meeting Shinji had been the best thing that happened to her and now, with him being her official guardian, it seemed that nothing would keep them apart. Not only was Shinji her first friend in her age group, but somehow she felt that if it had been anyone else, it would not be the same.

And then, there was the highlight of the night, dinner and dancing. Both she and Shinji had a silent laugh when the attendees began praising the food served before them, most of which, they had only seen and tasted for the first time. No one except a few knew that the recipes for them had been provided by Shinji the week earlier with Allura having the first taste to some of them.

When everyone had been satisfied, the orchestra began playing. One by one, couples began to dance in the wide hall. Shinji and Allura had the first dance together and then, had to separate to dance with the other attendees. The princess' eyes always sought for the brown haired boy. Most of the time, he was dancing with some random noble's daughter and somehow, she felt a twinge in her heart every time she saw said random girl admiring Shinji. That would quickly disappear however, as every time the music ends, he would always seek her out and be beside her.

The conductor of the orchestra then announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Royal Orchestra will now play their last piece of the night."

King Alfor then stood from his throne and faced his Queen saying, "Will Her Majesty be kind enough to join me for a dance?"

Queen Ariella giggled at her husband before responding, "As my Liege desires."

The music began with the king and queen effectively being the first couple in the dance hall. Almost immediately, others followed suit. Princess Allura watched as her parents gracefully danced on the floor when she saw a hand in front of her.

"May this lovely princess be so kind as to dance with her lowly servant?" Shinji spoke, his kind and warm eyes on her.

Slowly, Allura brought her hands into his waiting ones before shyly answering, "O-of course."

The music was slow, moving and magical in its own way. To Shinji and Allura, the other couples surrounding them was slowly disappearing as both focused on only their partners. The only thing that mattered at that moment was the serenade filling the air. It was just perfect when something happened.

Shinji had closed his eyes enjoying the dance with Allura but when he opened his eyes, for but a fleeting moment, he saw pale skin, blue hair and red eyes in his arms. She gave him a smile, the same smile that she had given him after the defeat of the Fifth Angel. Slowly, she disappeared and was replaced by Allura who was looking at him worriedly.

"What's the matter, Shinji?" Princess Allura asked.

"I-it's nothing, princess." Shinji replied with a smile that she had noted to not reflect on his eyes.

The song finished and before Allura can delve further, Shinji excused himself and had quickly disappeared towards his rooms. The celebration finally ended and after a week, Shinji would start his training with Coran.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

Shinji lay panting on the castle grounds, his body sore, bruised and sweating from training. His wooden training sword feebly clutched on his right arm. He tried to stand or at least sit up but found that his body would not yield. The sun high up indicates that it was a little past noon.

His opponent smiled before saying, "We might as well take a few minutes break, Master Shinji."

The young boy just grumbled his frustration, too tired to even speak. It had already been a few months since he began training with the king's trusted advisor and every time they sparred, he would end up a walking bruise.

It is not that Coran hadn't been teaching him, oh no. Shinji's training would always start with him waking up at six in the morning. During the weekdays, he would learn one of the discipline of his sensei's (Coran) Four Sacred Beasts. Mornings until lunch time would always be started with warm up exercises and then doctrines and formations on the discipline of the day. After lunch, they would be applying the said discipline on non moving targets with Shinji trying to hone each move.

Fridays would be academics for Shinji and Coran. Subjects covered are usually History of the Five Nations of Arus, the History of the Galaxy Alliance, Arus' flora and fauna, foreign relations including trade and diplomacy, and finally, local culture and customs. His weekdays would always end at six in the evening.

All of these, Shinji can cope without any problems. It was Saturdays that he always dreaded. The mornings were easy enough as he had to learn how to mount an animal. He had learned that there are different mounts used in Arus. He would learn how to ride each animal but as he had an Emustrich, Shinji was taught more to ride one.

Thinking of his pet, he remembered that Pen-Pen had also already started being trained to be his battle mount. The cerulean eyed boy had been, at first, adamant on not training his pet to battle. Only after it was explained to him that Pen-Pen had shown signs of being a potential battle mount, it would be a waste if it was not explored. That and Coran said that it would help Shinji to perform his task if his field runner can also fend for itself in an emergency.

Saturday afternoons always meant that it was Shinji's sparring lessons with none other than Coran himself. That brings Shinji to this Saturday's lesson or, if one could say, beatings.

A shadow overcast him and his eyes flitted to its source.

"Here." Princess Allura handed him a towel and some water canteen he was sure filled with fresh juice.

Forcing his body into motion, Shinji slowly reached for both items uttering a thanks and a small smile before turning his head away from the princess. Eight weeks had already passed since the incident and he had been avoiding Allura's gaze ever since. Many a nights he had laid awake thinking of why someone so different from the mysterious blue haired, red eyed girl would make him remember her.

Princess Allura felt a pang in her heart when Shinji quickly avoided her eyes. Ever since the dance, her only human friend had been acting differently from his usual self. While he didn't ignore nor evade her, Shinji somehow doesn't seem keen to look at her anymore than needed. She had also noticed that his smiles now have more sadness in them. It hurt her to know that the young boy never shares his burden to her and yet tries to be strong for her.

It was just a small sound she made, barely a whisper and yet, he still heard it. Princess Allura hasn't noticed it but an almost inaudible sob had escaped her. Warm hands wiping her tears away made her aware that she had been indeed, crying. Almost at reflex, her hand found its way into Shinji's who was still caressing her tear stained cheeks.

"Why are you crying, princess?" Shinji inquired. "Is there something wrong?"

Eyes filled with concern met her own. And it was then that she realized how much she missed looking into Shinji's kind blue hues.

"I-I wish you can tell me what was bothering you." She said, her emotion getting the better of her, "I want the old Shinji back."

Princess Allura then suddenly stood and ran away leaving Shinji dumbstruck. Shinji lowered his hand that was only moments ago holding onto the face of the princess. Picking up his training sword, he stood up and started to follow Allura when a voice halted him.

"You are not yet finished with your training, Master Shinji." It was Coran, speaking in a somewhat unnatural stern voice, "If you leave the training grounds, you will be given disciplinary actions."

Shinji paused only for a moment to respond to his sensei, "I will accept any punishments, Sensei but what I must do is much more important." He then gathered up his discarded clothing and began searching for the princess.

The king's advisor just watched as his student's fleeting figure with an unreadable expression on his face.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

Shinji tried to look everywhere for Princess Allura. He had searched the castle grounds and asked the staff but still, he yielded no results on her whereabouts. It was already three hours since he had started to seek out for her and he was getting worried. It was now his duty to accompany the princess and here he is, trying to find her.

Going out of the castle, he heard a faint voice coming from the direction of the forest. It was then that he noticed a slight tugging of his pants. Looking down, he saw that it was Chip the big blue space mouse together with Cheddar, Pip and Squeak. Scooping them all up and letting them settle onto his shoulders (or, for the smaller Pip and Squeak, on top of his head), Chip and Cheddar began squeaking into his ears.

"Squeak, squeak-squeak." He heard the mice speak.

"Oh, so you're also worried with Princess Allura too?" Shinji responded, "I think I heard her voice coming from the forest."

This time, Pip and Squeak spoke, "Squeak-squeak, squeak, squeak."

"You're saying you may have an idea where she is?" Shinji asked, slightly invigorated with the information. "Then let's go."

Wasting no time, Shinji and his four little guides dashed off into the forests looking for the princess.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

Allura sat under her favorite tree. Once again, she was inside her hiding spot in the forest near the castle. However, unlike before the scenery around her failed to make her smile. Instead, the place made her remember the first time she met Shinji. How surprised she was when the young boy suddenly appeared out of nowhere and then collapsing. How his eyes captivated her and made her forget her surroundings.

Remembering all, this, through her slight sob, she smiled and began to sing. It was the same song that she sang on that fateful day she met the Evangelion pilot. Slowly at first but as she continued, she gained more confidence.

With the help of the Space Mice and the Princess' beautiful voice, Shinji quickly found his way into the forest. His thoughts are currently preoccupied on how to tell his friend about his current predicament. Shinji sighed as he already knew that the princess would only want the truth from him.

As her voice grew stronger, Shinji slowed his pace until he finally stopped. He just stood there quietly listening to her song. It brought back memories of when he first arrived in this planet. How she had helped him when he collapsed. How she introduced him to her parents. How she openheartedly accepted and believed him. Making his resolve, he slowly walked towards Princess Allura's tree.

Allura had just about finished singing when Shinji sat beside her. Both of them was silent and was admiring the view of their surroundings

"This was the very place where we first met, do you remember?" said Allura.

"I'm sorry, Princess Allura." He replied, "I was injured so I was not keen on my surroundings at that time. But now that you mention it, this place does look familiar."

Silence once again surrounded the pair with both of them appearing deep in thought. Allura chanced a look at Shinji and giggled at what she saw. She hadn't noticed that the young boy had with him the Space Mice and all of them are soundly sleeping either in his shoulders or on his head.

Hearing her laugh made Shinji smile and as he had also noticed what she was laughing about, joined in. He placed them on his lap and silently thanked them for easing the atmosphere between him and the princess.

"I'm really sorry, Princess Allura for how I acted the last couple of weeks." He said, "I wish I can tell you what has happened but I myself don't know yet."

"I understand, Shinji." Princess Allura replied to him. "I just want you to smile the way you smiled before. Can you do that for me, Shinji?"

And then she saw it, the smile she had so sorely missed. It was the same smile that brought countless emotions from within her. She didn't notice but she was also giving the same smile to him.

And then it was broken when Chip suddenly sneezed and fell off Shinji's lap.

Surprised, Allura and Shinji again had another round of laughter.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

"Sorry princess. Pen-Pen wasn't cooperating with me again." Shinji said as he sat on the picnic cloth and started to prepare the food he had brought. "I swear, he acts like a spoiled child sometimes."

Princess Allura giggles before saying, "And yet, you just keep spoiling him."

Both of them had a quick laugh and then started to eat their meals. Soon, the Space Mice smelled the food and joined them.

"It's already a year since I came here." Shinji said suddenly.

"Yeah." Allura spoke, "Many things had happened since then."

"I'm glad though. For I would not have met my beautiful best friend if I didn't." the young boy smiled at her

"Me too, Shinji." The princess spoke but somehow, she felt that she wanted more.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

"Princess Allura…" a young man with silver hair spoke. "The time comes near when you will be mine."

To Be Continued.

_**Jay Haru's Rant Column**_

_**Finally, another chapter done!**_

_**I'm really very sorry if this came out oh so late. I had to edit and re-edit this a thousand times before I got it correctly. Also, I was slightly disappointed with how the remake of Tenshi Sentai Evaranger went and it played a part. Anyways, I would like to again thank StraightEdgeShadow for sticking with me and mailing me three times just to see if I'm still alive (I kid). But seriously, thank you for being the supporting fan that you are. I'll consider the stuff you told me, okay?**_

_**Also, thanks for gunman for the heads up a while back. It saddens me that such persons exist even in our fanfic community.**_

_**Well, as far as the story goes, it seems that the time is coming for the Defender of the universe to return once again. When, you ask? Well, let's just all find out in the next chapters okay?**_

_**Again, please review if you like it or not.**_

_**Again, sorry, no omakes.**_

_**Jay Haru Takamiya**_

_**Order of the Winged Sword of Light**_


	7. Dark Empire

_From days long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend._

_The Legend of Voltron: Defender of the Universe._

_A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil._

_As Voltron's legend grew, peace settled across the galaxy._

_On Planet Arus, a prophesy was about to be fulfilled._

_And then, a new horrible menace threatened the universe._

_Voltron was needed once more._

_This is the story of a young man, of pure heart and soul._

_And chosen by the Lions to bring back_

_Voltron: Defender of the Universe!_

**CHAPTER 6 : DARK EMPIRE**

On the other side of the Leo Cluster, also known as the far universe lays the seat of power of a vast interplanetary empire. Unlike that of Planet Arus and its constituent planets, this is an empire ruled by an iron fist by its rulers. Their main objective is conquest. To seize another planet's resources to power their war machines. Fifteen serf planets and countless slave worlds bow down to this mighty empire. And its crowning glory, the capital planet, Is named as ominously. Indeed, the name of the planet alone describes what the next victim of the empire will suffer, The Drule Empire's core world, Planet Doom.

And then, there was what was collectively known to the empire as the Triumvirate. Three individuals that make up the highest ranks in the militaristic government of their society. Venerated and feared, they are what made the Drules the most powerful species in their planetary system.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

A dark skinned man arose from his bed. He would have been very handsome if one should not care to know how perverse his soul really is. On either side lay one of his 'conquests', Females of various serf and slave planets of differing status. It didn't matter to him if the female in question is willing or not, he will have them and make them his own until he has satisfied himself. In his twisted view of life, women are just there to provide him with a few hours of comfort and enjoyment only then to be cast away after use.

Even so, one should never underestimate the capacity of this man. For to him was bestowed a cunning and devious mind. A mind that can mean the downfall of an entire planet deemed to be subjugated. A brilliant strategist with an unparalleled narcissist ego, once he has set his mind into one thing, he will never stop until he claims it.

"You are mine, Princess Allura. You alone are fit to become my bride." He spoke in a voice filled of dark conviction, "I will have you for I am Prince Lothor. FutureEmperor of the Drules and I always get what is mine."

The prince laughed into the darkness of the night, thinking of tainted ways to have the princess for himself.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************

In a very forbidding place, even by Drule standards, activity seems to never stop. Books of ancient and assuredly sinister origins scatter the floor. Rows upon rows of jars filed the walls, their contents too much to even describe simply. Eerie lights and weird smoke continuously brim over the table full of alchemic concoctions.

A black cat entered the room and paced itself silently through. The gleam in its eyes cast a hypnotic gaze upon the area as it scanned for the other occupant. A soft and yet frightening cackle was heard and the feline went into that direction, until it finally found a cloaked form sitting on her chair. The cat jumped up and settled upon the seated figures' lap by which it was stroked with gnarled hands adorned with sharp hooked nails.

"It was then that the person seated spoke, "The time comes near, Coba, I can sense it. 'tis time to make another world ours and the emperor to once again require of my aid."

And this was a fact. Her creations were what made the Drules so formidable. They may be a warrior race but with her knowledge of the arts, the empire was given a vast edge in their invasions. Mysterious she may be, but one thing is for sure. Witch Haggar is one Drule to never mess with.

************((( Lion Force Voltron: Shinji of the Lions )))************


End file.
